Many of us will remember the shock and trauma we felt on March 13 (yes it was a Friday the 13th) when it seemed like we turned off our headlights – the car was purring along, hearing a few little kinks in the road and we had no idea that we were going to get stopped in our tracks – in the middle of nowhere! The entire world was put on pause, and life as we knew it was going to change dramatically. When we went into lockdown, only grocery stores were open. We saw the fear that made us start to hoard, in order to feel a sense of control. Many families initially thought that this time was going to be temporary, hence everybody got excited about cooking and baking. We saw recipes for how to make sourdough bread and social media was alive with recipes! TikTok also blossomed with families learning dances and becoming energized to show off their bonding skills! We certainly made TikTok successful.
Having said that, within 6 weeks the reality hit home as we all realized that none of us were equipped to become full-time teachers, parents, caregivers while transitioning to remote working. We took on these roles to create our own individualized sense of normalcy. This pandemic has tested human resiliency and has proven that we can face whatever may lie ahead.
Now mid-August we are 5 months into seeing how amazingly adaptable human beings truly are. As we went past being excited, then overwhelmed and anxious, we may have tried perfection, and then decided we got burnt out and finally came to a sense of acceptance that we can only do so much. We have truly grown not only as an individual but as a community. We have grown closer to our family, friends, and maybe even neighbors, bonding over the hardships that we all endured. Many folks talked about how they got to know neighbors who they had been living next to each other for years and had never met!
All of these are traits of flexibility that carry us into the next year. As we allow ourselves to not fight the fact that our lives are significantly changed for the next 12-15 months, we will become more peaceful with the acceptance of this adjustment. We have shown a positive adaptation towards resiliency by letting go of our dependence on creature comforts and move to a more meaningful existence. We have become more aware, more connected, and learning how to lead simpler lives. We are seeing the benefits of staycation and enjoying our communities.
We all try to bring control a variety of ways and one prayer that can be so helpful in adjusting to this new, better normal is:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.”
May we take this time as school starts, to realize that we are strong, we are resilient, we are deeply loving with our families and communities, and we are deeply connected to the safety of all. We can assist our children enrolled in either virtual learning or in-person education by providing a strong support system. We can uplift teachers that are exposing themselves to the unknown to make sure that education remains a priority. When we breathe in safety and calm, our children and families will be calm too. “This too shall pass” is a popular saying that can hold so much power today –
As we head into the new school year, might we also look at this new beginning with this devotion of faith.
“Faith is the place between the way things are and the good things that are sure to come.”
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